Home
| Lifestyle
| Home Repair & Maintenance
| Generators
| What Is a General Surgeon?
What Is a General Surgeon?
by Contributing Writer
-
Overview
A general surgeon is a physician who operates predominantly on the torso region. General surgeons operate on the stomach, large and small intestines, thyroid gland, pancreas, esophagus, spleen, bile ducts, gallbladder and liver. In addition to actual surgery, general surgeons manage their patients during the post-operative hospital stay.
-
Procedures
A general surgery practice typically includes hernia repair (hiatal, umbilical, inguinal and incisional); removal of cysts, lipomas, breast tumors, sarcomas and skin melanomas; and removal of abdominal organs or part of abdominal organs due to cancer or inflammation. When all or part of an organ is removed, the general surgeon must recreate the body system without the part removed. The surgeon must have a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology in order to recreate normal or near normal function with the "leftover" parts.
-
Laparoscopic Surgery
General surgery procedures traditionally use a large abdominal incision. Recent technology has enabled some general surgery procedures to be performed laparoscopically, with multiple small incisions. Small cameras inserted into the incisions enable the surgeon to view the internal structures on a monitor. With the aid of the monitor, the surgeon operates via surgical instruments inserted into the small incisions. Laparoscopic procedures generally reduce blood loss, reduce the risk of incision infection and reduce wound healing time.
-
General Surgery Residency
To become a general surgeon, one must complete four years of medical or osteopath school and then a five-year general surgery residency program. The program provides training in general surgery as well as in surgery sub-specialties (colorectal surgery, trauma surgery, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, transplant surgery, endocrine surgery and burn surgery). A physician learns to perform surgical procedures and how to care for patients post-operatively. Two optional additional years often can be added to the residency for dedicated research time.
-
Licensing and Certification
To practice medicine, a physician must be licensed by the state medical board. To practice medicine as a general surgeon, a physician must be board-certified in general surgery. To become board-certified, the physician must pass written and oral portions of the general surgery board examination after completing the general surgery residency. The American Board of Surgery (ABS) administers both portions of the test.
-
Employment
General surgeons work in academic medical centers, community hospitals and private practice. General surgeons must obtain hospital privileges to have access to operating room facilities. In conjunction with hospital privileges, general surgeons are often required to work overnight shifts to care for patients admitted to the hospital. Occasionally, general surgeons may be called for emergency surgery during these overnight shifts. A general surgeon's lifestyle depends largely upon the details of the employment contract, particularly the frequency of overnight shifts.
